Cherish

A few weeks ago I posted about a passage I had read in Scripture about 'vows' and the importance of taking them seriously. I was specifically thinking about Lent when I wrote that, but as it has rattled around in my head since, I started thinking about other vows I have made in my life.

These thoughts naturally led to my marriage vows. We did not write our own, choosing to stick with the traditional lines of 'love, honor and cherish.' I am a broken human being, just like everybody else, working hard to show my husband that I love and honor him, but something about the word cherish struck me. I had to go and look it up...in Roget's Thesaurus I found this definition: "To recognize the worth, quality, importance, or magnitude of."

I love it...and that is my challenge for tomorrow (and hopefully beyond) to honor my vow, keep the promise I made before God and all those witnesses. I want this to be more than 'stay together and don't cheat emotionally or physically.' I want this to be an active list of Do's.

Lord, show me ways to actively love, honor and cherish my husband. Give me fresh eyes to see his worth and importance not just as my flesh or the world perceives him, but as a dearly loved child of yours--and a gift you sent just for me. May we take seriously the vows we made, fulfilling our responsibilities to one another so there is never any room for anyone else to do so.

P.S. When I reread this Sunday morning, I struggled with insecurity that someone will 'read into it.' For the record, nothing is happening in my marriage remotely scandalous...I desire to be vigilant to insure it doesn't--and frankly, I simply want to do well with marriage and love my husband the way  pledged to and the way God has commanded me to.